Colin Sexton led all scorers with 32 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 128-119 in double overtime. 

The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers took turns trying to give each other a chance to win. In the end, the Cavaliers prevailed, winning 128-119 in a double-overtime “thriller.”

Darius Garland’s three-pointer with 3:04 left was the dagger that eventually took the soul of the Pistons. He finished with 21 points and 12 assists. And Garland was not alone in the scoring, as his backcourt mate Colin Sexton led all scorers with 32 points. 

With questionable shooting and ugly turnovers, the Pistons blew a fourth-quarter lead for the second straight game. 

The Pistons had an eight-point lead with 4:07 remaining in regulation. Then some erratic scoring by one of its best players allowed the Cavs to close the gap, forcing overtime. 

And for the record, those questionable shots did not come from its newest member. Frankly, he’s the reason the Pistons didn’t get blown out.

Many questions surrounded the Detroit Pistons signing Jerami Grant to a three-year, $60 million deal. 

And answered those questions with his best performance so far in a Pistons uniform. Grant tallied 28 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. He set the Pistons’ tone all night long, but he was not alone in the Pistons scoring attack.

Blake Griffin’s outside shooting was a concern to start the 2020-21 season. He was shooting below 25% from beyond the arc, but what then, and this is now. Griffin scored 26 points, draining eight three-pointers in the process. By the fourth quarter, Griffin cooled off. And his questionable shot selection gave the young Cavs team life. 

Along with that, a familiar face in Detroit had quite the “Welcome Home”. 

Andre Drummond refused to let the Cavs lose tonight.

Through the first three-quarters of the game, it looked like the Pistons were going to spoil Andre Drummond’s return to Detroit. Earlier this year, the Pistons sent the long-tenured center to the Cavs in a shocking move at the NBA trade deadline.

And Drummond’s goal tonight was to make the Pistons remember what they lost.

By the time the game ended, Drummond had finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks. And two of those four steals came in the game’s most crucial moments. Along with that, Drummond went 9-14 on free-throws. It’s a part of his game that drew unfair criticism even with his improvements. 

Killian Hayes was noticeably absent in double OT.

Killian Hayes is having a rough start to his NBA career. 

In 20 minutes of action, he went 1-7 for three points. And even though he did not have a great game, Derrick Rose’s was a turnover machine in several of the game’s deciding moments. Rose is a savvy veteran and has a reputation for being clutch in those moments. Nonetheless, after Rose showcased some horrible decision making down the stretch, giving Hayes the rub should have happened. 

He’s the 7th overall pick in the draft. And the only way to see his potential is to throw him in the fire. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. And for the second straight game, the Pistons blew a lead while the starting point guard watched on the sidelines. 

The Pistons’ next two games are against the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors. 

They had their hands full tonight with Darius Garland and Colin Sexton. 

One can only imagine what Trae Young and an angry Stephen Curry will do, respectively. 

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By Published On: December 26th, 2020Categories: NBA

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